Mildo kept staring at the weapon in Henry's hand.
Henry moved toward another door inside the room, opened it, and glanced back at him:
"Don't just stand there like a wall. Move."
Mildo walked in slowly behind him, finding himself in a room designed for marksmanship training. Dozens of targets hung on the far wall.
Henry raised his arm, fired a shot, and struck one of the targets right at its center. Then, he handed the weapon to Mildo.
"I want you to hit those targets with precision."
Mildo took the gun and looked at it with sorrow. He didn't want to master such a skill, yet he couldn't refuse.
His hand trembled as he lifted the weapon toward the target. Tears of despair slipped down his cheeks as he pulled the trigger only for the bullet to miss entirely and strike the wall.
Henry approached him, completely indifferent to the boy's grief. His eyes carried no empathy, only his own ambitions. He seized Mildo's hands, fixing them toward the target.
"Imagine the goal you want to reach, the thing you long to shatter. Put your feelings aside and focus, because in this world… no one cares how you feel."
The words sank deeply. Strange as they sounded, Mildo realized there was truth in them at least partly.
He forced his gaze onto the spot ahead of him, though unease coiled in his chest. He imagined a black dot, a shadow embodying every torment he had endured over the years. His finger pressed the trigger; the bullet veered slightly, grazing the edge of the target.
The echo of the gunshot tore through his ears like a terrifying scream. His heart lurched, his breath faltered panting, gasping, shuddering. Henry could clearly see the silent collapse building inside him.
Henry's eyes stayed cold, merciless. Suddenly, he raised his hand and slapped Mildo hard, snapping his head to the side.
"Get a hold of yourself, boy. Will you lose your mind every time you pull the trigger?"
Mildo clutched his cheek, lifting his gaze back to Henry. His breathing slowed, but his eyes blazed with anger, spilling fire into the room.
"Why… why must I go through all this?"
Henry shifted slightly, raising his hands in a detached gesture.
"Because you are weak. And the world does not forgive the weak."
The words detonated inside Mildo's mind, shocking him into silence. They forced him to confront the bitter truth he had no strength, and perhaps he himself was the obstacle he needed to overcome.
His eyes lingered on the gun. In a fleeting moment, his expression shifted from tension to a twisted mix of determination and unease. Henry couldn't comprehend the look so strange, so unsettling especially when it bent into a crooked smile, as if the boy had lost his mind.
Mildo lifted the gun again, exhaling his rage. This time, his stance grew firm, his despair hardened into resolve.
"I will not die in this place. I will get out no matter the cost."
Henry's eyes widened at the sharp tone of Mildo's words. Slowly, a faint smile of pride touched his lips. He whispered to himself:
"I've raised a lion, William… a lion who will surpass you in strength."
Mildo steadied himself and pulled the trigger once more. The bullet struck the target cleanly. His hand quivered from the force of the shot only a natural reflex, not weakness.
He turned to Henry with a face stripped of all emotion, tossing the gun back at him.
"I hit it. Exactly as you wanted."
Henry caught the weapon, resting it at his side. Lifting his bangs and lowering his head to Mildo's level, he spoke with cold authority:
"From now on, I expect you to maintain that performance."
Mildo ignored his words entirely. Wiping sweat from his forehead, he muttered:
"I want to return to the others."
Henry straightened, exhaling in boredom. He strode to the door, opened it, and motioned for Mildo to move.
Mildo walked ahead, his eyes never leaving Henry's face, until they left the room and passed through the silent corridors. At last, they stopped before the door to Room Seven.
Before opening it, Henry placed a hand on Mildo's shoulder, his expression uncharacteristically serious.
"Today's training wasn't to teach you how to shoot. It was to harden your fragile heart."
Mildo brushed his hand off with disgust, as if something filthy had touched him. He rubbed his shoulder, trying to erase the stain.
"Open the door. And don't meddle in my affairs again."
Then, his eyes burned into Henry's, his voice a low growl, teeth clenched like a starving beast:
"Stop treating me as if I'm pitiful."
For the briefest moment, Henry felt something exhilarating a thrill at the icy defiance in Mildo's tone, the killing intent gleaming in his gaze.
He smirked faintly, half a smile, and opened the door without another word. He didn't want to ruin that feeling.
Mildo entered silently. Henry shut the door behind him. The stench of a rotting corpse still clung to the air inside, yet Mildo was unfazed his own thoughts were far more suffocating.
Armanda stood at once, Logan following quickly as they noticed Mildo's arrival. Their eyes trembled with unease at the sight of him, his stare fixed on the ground, eyes wide as though haunted.
Armanda stepped closer, lifting her hand gently, trying to touch him, to soothe him.
"Are you alright? What happened?"
Mildo exploded, kicking the floor in fury until he injured himself.
"I'll kill them… I'll kill every last one of them!"
Before Armanda could respond, the door opened again. Enzo walked in, his gaze dripping with scorn. He clapped his hands mockingly.
"My lord wants to see you. Move quickly I don't want him kept waiting."
The group exchanged wary glances, but Enzo pulled a small device from his pocket and pressed it. A surge of electricity jolted through their bodies.
"I said move!"
They scrambled to their feet, shaken. Fear quickened their steps. Mildo walked among them, fists clenched, his fury radiating from every pore.
They reached Lord Dante's chamber. Upon entering, they were greeted by the suffocating haze of cigarette smoke, as always.
Mildo waved his hand irritably to clear the air, muttering under his breath:
"That addict… can he not rest until the entire room is drowning in smoke?"
Dante sat on his chair, cigarette dangling from his fingers, smoke coiling around his head like a vortex.
With a flick of his hand, he pointed to a table laden with weapons.
"You'll be going on a mission with Enzo. Take what you need."
His eyes then slid toward Mildo, narrowing with mocking disdain.
"Let's see if you'll even survive your first mission."
Mildo's gaze was icy as he stepped forward, picked up a weapon, and replied calmly:
"I will survive ,because I still have to kill you."
Armanda and Logan whipped their heads toward him, panic flashing in their eyes.
Enzo stormed forward, seizing Mildo by the hair and yanking him violently.
"How dare you threaten my lord?!"
Dante's face darkened. He rose abruptly and slammed the table with his fist, making Enzo release Mildo and step back.
"Enough. Go. We cannot afford delays."
Enzo forced a strained smile, shoving Mildo roughly toward the door.
"As you command, my lord."
Mildo staggered but regained his balance quickly. They all marched out, tension heavy in the air.
Outside, they boarded the carriage bound for their mission. Mildo sat in silence, gripping his weapon, nerves gnawing at him though he concealed them well.
His eyes lowered to the gun in his hands. He traced the handle with his fingers, thinking bitterly:
"Everything will change today. I won't return as that pure soul. Today, I'll become filthy to the core."
Silence blanketed the ride, broken only by the rattle of wheels over stones. At the foot of a mountain, the carriage finally stopped.
Enzo jumped down first, his voice sharp with arrogance:
"Get out, you idiots."
One by one, they followed. The group climbed through rough terrain until they reached a vantage point overlooking a small valley. A lonely wooden cabin stood there, smoke curling weakly from its chimney.
Enzo pointed, his face a twisted mix of command and malice.
"You see that bald one and his men?"
A short, mocking laugh escaped him before he added coldly:
"They're our target."
Mildo's chest tightened as he watched the men laughing and drinking outside the cabin, as if the world belonged to them.
"Positions!" Enzo barked from behind.
Armanda reached out, gently grasping Mildo's wrist. She whispered softly:
"Come on… let's not anger him now."
Their eyes met briefly. Mildo slipped free of her hold without a word.
They scattered silently, each finding cover among rocks and trees until the cabin was encircled ghosts waiting for a signal.
Logan's breaths came fast. Armanda's hands trembled as she readied her weapon. Mildo remained wordless, his sharp eyes tracking every move below.
Without hesitation, Enzo lifted his rifle, a sinister smile curling his lips.
"Now… let's see who dares to live."
He fired. The bullet shattered through the cabin window and pierced a man's skull. Chaos erupted instantly.
"Enemy attack!" one of them shouted, pointing upward.
Gunfire exploded in every direction, bullets tearing through the wooden walls, shaking the cabin with each strike.